It is a common practice to position a tailgate of a pickup truck in a horizontal position when carrying loads that are longer than the internal length of the pickup bed. When carrying such a load, the user normally couples a red material to the end of the load to indicate to others of the extended length and location of the end of the load.
Several issues arise when positioning the tailgate of a pickup truck in a horizontal position. The first issue is the loss of protection by the bumper. Another being the potential for an accident wherein a vehicle behind the pickup truck would run into the carried load or the horizontal tailgate. On darker color trucks, it is more difficult to recognize when a tailgate is in a horizontal position at night. On a lighter color truck, it is more difficult to recognize when a tailgate is in a horizontal position during daylight. This is critical from both a rear view and a side view.
Pickup Trucks have been evolving. Pickup Trucks previously comprised of two doors, a bench seat, and a bed length of 8 feet. Current designs of pickup trucks are directed towards four doors, a luxury interior, and a shorter, somewhere between a 5½ and 6½ foot bed length. This change is directed more users to drive with the tailgate down.
A large number of states require red flags being at least 1 square foot be attached to objects that project 4 feet or more beyond the end of a vehicle. Additionally, a light or reflector is required to be attached to the object after dusk.
Fox (U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,873) teaches a third brake light, placing a “U” shaped attachment over the top edge of the tailgate. Fox is limited in a non-permanent item. The teachings need to be removable as it is highly susceptible to damage when loading cargo into the pickup bed, as it is taught to be an elevated object. Fox further teaches a unit that is only a third brake light assembly, similar to those integrated into current vehicles. Third brake lights are only illuminated when pressure is applied to the brakes. Therefore, Fox is teaching a means for additionally notifying another driver that the vehicle is braking.
What is desired is a tailgate safety light system, providing other drivers a means for continuously warning them that the tailgate is in a horizontal position and further providing others with the location of the end of the tailgate/extended load.
When a tailgate is up (vertical), the rearmost dimension of a vehicle is normally the bumper. When the tailgate is lowered (horizontal), the rearmost dimension of a vehicle is the top edge of the tailgate. When the tailgate is lowered, a vehicle containing rear proximity sensors no longer references the most rearward dimension of the vehicle.
What is desired is a means for utilizing the rear proximity sensors to reference the rearmost dimension of the vehicle, more so as the rearmost point changes.